


Written in Stone

by shalinabianca



Series: The Black Books [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Lily has a twin, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), canon until its not lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2019-10-23 20:46:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17690582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shalinabianca/pseuds/shalinabianca
Summary: Marigold Evans is the twin sister of Lily. She is a late-bloomer in the magical sense, but her abilities manifest ten-fold. Her time at Hogwarts brings her on adventures with Sirius Black and his circle of friends. She is destined to not only save a life, but to make the hardest decisions anyone's to face with. Will she choose the right path, or will she ignore her destined fate?A Marauders fanfic (Cross-posted; originally posted on Quotev forever ago)





	1. Chapter 1

Mary Evans was the only early riser in her family. She was always the first to rise, which allowed her some quality me-time every once in a while. In the eleven-year-old’s case, me-time was watching reruns of the latest _Doctor Who_ series that ended a month prior (oh, how she just adored Jon Pertwee).

            She was in the middle of an episode when the letter flap on the front door clicked. Mary crept to the hall and stared at a single letter on the mat, confused. “Curious,” she muttered quietly, stooping to grab it. “There’s no post on Sundays.”

            Her interest was piqued by the parchment envelope and waxed stamp on the back, resting below an emblem from something she didn’t recognize. _Hogwarts?_ _Isn’t that the boarding school Severus always speaks of?_ Even more curious, the letter was addressed to her twin sister, Lily — and quite specifically, mind. She started to their shared bedroom, stepping like she had a mission.

            Once through the bedroom door’s threshold, she said, “Lily.” Mary received a muffled grunt in return. “Lily, you’ve a letter,” she said louder.

            A throaty groan. “Mary, there’s no post on —” Lily glared at her sister who had plopped beside her.

            “Miss L. Evans, The Room to the Right of the Hall, 12 Milltown Avenue, Cokeworth, England.” Mary smiled cheekily as she addressed the front of a letter. “Do you want to open it, or shall I?”

            Lily sat up straight in bed, pushing away her tousled red hair. She gingerly pulled up the wax seal and shimmied out two pieces of parchment and a ticket. “’Dear Miss Evans, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…” After reading, she blinked a few more times at the letter in her hands, perplexed. “’Please await the arrival of one of our professors for further instruction’? That’s odd. Isn’t that odd?”

            The sister laughed and grabbed her twin by the shoulders. “Forget the oddity, Lily! You’ve been accepted to the magic school that Severus goes on about!”

            A second passed before the two started cheering excitedly. The one twin had manifested magical abilities when she was nearing the age of ten. It started with moving petals on the flowers in their back garden and had grown from there. It was also around that time that they befriended a magic boy from Spinner’s End, named Severus Snape.

Lily’s grin began to disappear when she noticed something amiss. “Didn’t you receive a letter, Mary? I can’t possibly go _without_ you!”

            Mary shrugged, absentmindedly stating, “I suppose I’m just not magic like you. I wonder if Severus has gotten his letter.”

            Later that morning, Lily and Mary sat reading through the contents of the school list during breakfast. The smell of pancakes and sausages wafted around the room as their father finished cooking. Their mother and older sister had just come through the kitchen doors when Petunia pointed out the letter.

            “What’s that?” she questioned.

            Their father set down the plated food as he answered, “Lily received an acceptance letter from that magic school.”

            “The one their Snape friend had mentioned?” their mother asked.

            “The very same.”

            “Oh, how wonderful, darling! We’re so very proud of you.”

            Mr. and Mrs. Evans began to talk animatedly about Hogwarts and wondering if they should send their little girl off to a boarding school for magical people. There was no inquiry about Petunia or Mary anywhere in the conversation. The two in question shared a silent look.

            Around noontime, Mary and Lily left for Severus’ house, just a walking distance away. They made their way around back, having seen the dark-haired boy up the hill from his house where they usually met. He was clad in his usual dark clothes.

            “Sev!” Mary called out once they were in hearing distance. “Lily’s got news!”

            “I surely hope it’s the good kind,” Severus joked, greeting the twins. Lily in turn told him about her letter, to which he asked: “Odd. I’d have thought someone from Hogwarts would come by first to explain to your parents since you’re a Muggle-born.”

            “Does it make a difference?” Lily asked. She continued when Severus didn’t understand: “Does it make a difference, being a Muggle-born?”

            Mary watched Severus; his black eyes scanned Lily’s face, her hair, then her eyes again. “No,” he said, “it doesn’t make any difference.”

            “Good.” Lily seemed to have been worried about this as her shoulders relaxed.

            “Tell us more about that wizard ministry place,” Mary offered. “You said something before, how they are able to punish students who do magic outside of schools.”

            Severus nodded. “Yes, bad students get letters before anything drastic happens.”

            Lily’s face fell. “But we _have_ done magic outside of school!”

            “We haven’t gotten our wands yet. The Ministry buggers off when you’re young because… well, that’s just how my mum said.” He lowered his voice, all ominous-like. “But once you turn eleven, and they start teaching you, then you’ve got to be right careful.”

            Mary and Severus watched as Lily got up from her spot and hunted for a long stick. She began to twirl it in the air, starting, “It _is_ real, isn’t it? That letter isn’t a gag gift? Petunia says you’re lying to me. Petunia says there isn’t a Hogwarts.”

            “Hush, Lily! Are you mad?” Mary scoffed at her sister. “How can you explain all the wondrous things you’ve done if there isn’t an entire world of it?”

            Severus agreed. “It’s real for us. Not for her.” He turned to look at Mary, cocking his head in curiosity. “I’m genuinely surprised you aren’t a witch as well, being as you’re a her twin.”

            “Do you think it’s selective?” Mary asked.

            “Not that I know of.”

            Mary contemplated that. “Well, anyway. How are things at your house?” She watched the crease form between his eye brows.

“Fine,” he said curtly.

            “Your parents don’t argue anymore?” Lily inquired in disbelief.

            “Oh, yes, they’re arguing,” Severus replied quite angrily. He scooped up a fistful of leaves only to open his hand and let the burnt ashes fall to the ground. “It won’t be that long, and I’ll be gone.”

            “Doesn’t your father like magic?” Mary was curious as to why a normal person like Tobias Snape would marry Eileen Prince if he didn’t.

            Severus sighed, “He doesn’t like anything much.” He picked at the grass and pulled them out of the ground. “Now my father, he’s one the dementors should get at, mhm.”

            “Tell me about dementors,” Lily piped up.

            “What d’you want to know about them for?”

            Lily’s eyes glued themselves to her shoes. “Say someone used magic outside school—”

            “They wouldn’t give you dementors for that!” Severus interrupted her before she could even finish, shock written across his face. “Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff.”

            Mary parted her lips to ask her friend about the kinds of food there might be in the wizarding world when Petunia came from behind a tree, apparently hiding.

            Both sisters cried out “Tuney!” when she appeared. Lily’s voice was filled with surprise and welcome, but Mary’s was dripping with shock and curiosity.

            Severus jumped to his feet angrily. “Who’s spying now!” he shouted.

            Petunia’s face grew red as she breathed heavily, angered at being caught. She struggled for something hurtful to say. A gleam in her eye showed that she soon found it. “What is that you’re wearing, anyway, Snape?” Her finger pointed to his oversized shirt. “Your father’s hand-me-downs?”

            Mary’s jaw dropped. Heat stirred within her and her face felt hot. Appalled, she shouted at her sister. “Petunia, how dare you!” Then, a loud crack echoed around them: A branch over Petunia’s head had fallen.

            Lily screamed: The branch had caught Petunia on the shoulder, and she staggered backward and burst into tears. “Tuney!”

            Petunia ran away. Lily turned to face Severus with a fire in her eyes. “Did you make that happen?” she asked him angrily.

            His mouth dropped in shock. “No,” he said finally. And although he stood his ground, one could tell he was scared half to death.

            “You _did_!” Lily screamed as she backed away. Mary mustered a sound, but Lily ignored her. “You _did_! You hurt her!”

            “No—no, I didn’t!” Severus continued to defend himself.

            She gave him a burning look, then ran after Petunia. It was in that moment that Mary regained her bearings enough to think straight. Severus turned to her, eyes as wide as a deer in headlights.

            “Please, you have to believe me, Mary. I didn’t hurt your sister.”

            “I know…” Mary looked pale, shaken. “I—I think _I_ did.”

            Severus’ mouth fell into an O shape. “Are you saying your magic came to you?”

            She huffed out something between a laugh and a cough. “I don’t know. I guess so. Something came over me, and then the next thing…”

            “Severus!” His mother’s voice traveled from their house. “Sweetheart, where are you?”

            “I’ve got to go,” he said, apologizing. “You should too. And… tell Lily I was sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Original fic was created mid-2012 on Quotev (yikes) so I'm rewriting this! The story was pretty a'ight and I've been meaning to revise a lot of my older fics so here we are.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite not receiving their own letter from Hogwarts, Lily invited Mary and Petunia to accompany her to buy her school requirements. Mary happily obliged; their older sister, on the other hand, was still bitter about it all and declined.

            Being as their little county in East Midlands was a solid two hours from where they needed to go in London, Severus’ mother, Eileen, had been kind enough to lead them on their little shopping spree. They took a train and then came upon a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. It was dank and dark, and haggard-looking men were seated around the establishment. Mary’s eyes widened upon seeing a man stirring his tea without touching the spoon.

Eileen ushered them out the back and to a red brick wall, tapping a few bricks. The twins’ jaws dropped to the floor as the bricks folded away to reveal a large alley full of shops. What Mary only assumed as wizards and witches bustled here and there, dressed in the wildest of clothing. She felt rightly underdressed.

            After the initial shock wore off, Lily spoke. “Where _are_ we?”

            “Welcome to Diagon Alley, children. Anything and everything we need is sold here.” She held her son’s list of requirements, scanning for what they can start with. When Eileen began forward, the three followed.

            “Where are we going, Mum?” Severus asked, turning his head to look through the shop windows.

            “Robes first. I believe it would save us from pins and needles and bleeding on others later,” she said in jest. “You three head off to Madam Malkin’s. I must visit Gringotts Bank for wizard currency.”

            The Evans twins followed Severus along Diagon Alley, stopping every so often at windows to marvel at owls or cats, or gravity-defying broomsticks and sweets shops. Severus waved them into a cozy little shop; the sign outside read _Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions_. A stout lady dressed in all mauve instructed the three of them to take a seat and wait until she finished with another customer.

            “Ouch! Watch where you stick that pin, woman!” It was another boy, likely a First year student like Lily and Severus. He was stood on a platform, wearing school robes and holding his arms out at his sides. He had curly, black hair and the most beautiful stormy-grey eyes. At least, that’s what Mary thought. She turned away when his eyes met hers in the mirror. Her face likely flushed as red as her hair.

            “All done there, Master Black,” the seamstress announced after a few short flicks of the wand.

            “Cheers, miss,” he muttered, stepping off the platform. He made his way to the counter, facing away from the others.

            Lily went up to be fitted next, introducing herself politely. Madam Malkin swished her hand, uttered the words, “ _Accio_ , dress robes!” and let them rest around Lily’s shoulders. As the magic ruler went to work, she made small talk with Mary. “First year at Hogwarts, aye, dearie?”

            “Oh! No, I’m not a student. I’m just with them.” Mary smiled, but the light didn’t reach her eyes.

            Insensitively, she questioned, “Ah, a squib then?”

            “A what?” she shot back. Mary’s head cocked to the side in confusion. She looked to Severus for clarification, but all she got was a shake of the head. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the boy exit the doors. For some odd reason, she wanted to follow him.

            “Her sister’s a Muggle-born,” Severus inputted. Searching for the words, he said slowly, “Mary is… a late bloomer.”

            A little irritated, although mostly antsy, Mary offered to go find Eileen. In reality, she wanted to leave the robes shop in hopes of finding the boy. Her eyes searched all around for a head of curly hair. She had just seen his silhouette enter a bookshop when she ran into Eileen Snape. Defeated, Mary walked with her back to Malkin’s.

            It was nearing mid-afternoon when they finally finished buying things for Lily and Severus. His mum, despite usually being stingy with money, felt it was a cause to celebrate and treated them at Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour.

            The four of them occupied a small table outside the shop, savoring the delicacies. “Merlin’s beard,” Severus hummed, smiling. “This is the best ice cream in the world.”

            While Lily made conversation with Severus, joyous over the new cauldrons and books they would have for school, Mary’s eyes wandered the alley. Magic was abundant, and it was everything she’d ever dreamed and more. In that moment, she shared Petunia’s envy over Lily’s abilities. A dark thought slithered through her head: maybe she just wasn’t good enough.        

            She faced forward once again, and her gaze passed over the table across from theirs. As fate would have it, the curly haired boy sat there with his own mother and a younger boy she could only assume to be his brother. Their eyes held each other for a moment, and she got lost in his strikingly grey eyes. She smiled sheepishly, and her heart melted when he returned it.

            “Mary. Mary.” Lily waved her hand in front of her sister’s face. “Mary, your ice cream is melting.”

-*-*-

It was September 1. Severus and his mother had shown Lily and her family the way to Platform 9 3/4. Parents and children both were in awe after crossing the magical barrier between Platforms 9 and 10, seeing the scarlet red Hogwarts Express for the very first time.

            Petunia had been incredibly stubborn the last few days. She claimed that she didn’t want to wish Lily off out of spite and jealousy, because she and Mary were being left behind. The latter had stayed by Severus when Lily pulled her older sister off to talk. Yet their conversation was distinct over the voices of others.

            “…I’m sorry, Tuney! I’m sorry! Listen—” Lily held Petunia’s hand tightly. But she tried to rip it away. “Maybe once we’re there—no, listen, Tuney! Maybe once we’re there, I’ll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!”

            “I—don’t—want—to—go!” screeched Petunia as she got her hand loose. “You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a—” Her eyes roved the scene. As hectic as it was, it was a wonderful sight. Children and parents, weird pets in cages. It was more than magical. “—you think I want to be a-a freak?”

            Lily was clearly hurt, and Mary noticed. Severus placed a hand around her wrist to keep her in place, knowing full well that she would fight against her older sister in the middle of the station without any qualms.

            “I—we’re not freaks.” Weakly, Lily said, “Th-that’s a horrible thing to say…”

            “That’s where you’re going,” said Petunia with relish. “A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy… _weirdos_ , that’s what you are. It’s good you’re being separated from normal people. It’s for our safety.”

            Lily stole a glance to her parents. They were looking around the platform, in awe at the sight of the magical world that’s been invisible to them all these years. She looked back at her sister, her voice low and fierce. “You didn’t think it was such a freak’s school when you wrote to the headmaster and begged him to take you.”

            Petunia grew red. “Beg? I didn’t beg!”

            “I saw his reply. It was very kind.”

            “You shouldn’t have read—that was my private—how could you—?” Lily’s eyes flickered to where Severus and Mary stood. Petunia gasped. “That boy found it! You three have been sneaking in my room!” she accused.

            “No—not sneaking—Severus saw the envelope, and he couldn’t believe a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that’s all. He says there must be wizards working at the post to—”

            “ _Apparently_ wizards poke their noses everywhere!”

            Before Mary could bat an eye, Petunia had stalked over to her parents, and Lily had run off crying into the train. She felt utterly hopeless. “Severus. I can’t get on that train and fix this. Please tell me you will,” Mary pleaded, looking into her friend’s eyes for confirmation.

            “I promise.”

            The two of them shared an embrace before going their separate directions. Mary caught up with her family, purposely standing as far away from her older sister as possible.

            “Has Lily left already?” asked their mother. She turned toward the train, a slight expression of concern painting her usually calm face. “I wonder why she didn’t say goodbye.”

            “Why don’t you ask _Petunia_?” Mary snapped, giving her sister a pointed look. With that, she stormed out of the barrier with her parents on her heels.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a very uneventful few months without Lily by her side. That is if the definition of uneventful included facing the entire school year without her twin, and then becoming the butt of hurtful jokes when her magical abilities unknowingly caused problems for her professors. Then, yes, uneventful.

Petunia remained as insufferable as ever, rarely wanting to even mention the idea of Hogwarts and the magical world. She was jealous of Lily. She was also jealous of Mary. Petunia began to ignore Mary altogether when their parents found out that magic coursed through her veins as well. Mary and Petunia were never close, but the negative feelings the eldest had toward anything involving magic drove a bigger wedge between them still.

Mary’s magic had began manifesting in the month before Lily left for Hogwarts: that tree branch that fell on Tuney, for instance. Nothing else happened until the tail end of October, when Mary began creating snow flurries above her whenever she was sad. There was an instance in December that many people were witness to: Mary had all but exploded in a fury one day and melted the snow beneath her feet with every step she took.

Lily would constantly be sending her twin sister owls, describing the wonderful things happening at the magic school. She sent updates about Severus as well, and often mentioned this boy in Gryffindor house and his friend who would always seem to bully Severus. Lily’s owl would always wait for Mary to write her own letter in response, telling her sister of things she’s missed in the Muggle world and how much she missed her as well.

It was the very end of the school year when Mary found a letter from Hogwarts sitting at the front door. She had just arrived home from school, and her parents just left for their respective jobs. The letter was addressed to her, Miss M. Evans, and looked identical to Lily’s one from months ago. Somehow, this seemed thicker.

Mary didn’t hesitate to open the envelope, ripping through the wax seal haphazardly. She skimmed the acceptance letter—and her heart jumped.  _She was going to go to Hogwarts_. Apart from the lengthy First  _and_  Second year supplies list, there was an additional letter in the envelope. From the desk of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore himself. As Mary read the headmaster’s writing, she didn’t realize that she had planted herself in the middle of the floor.

Dumbledore’s letter explained how Mary was a rare case of Muggleborn whose magical abilities took longer to surface. He mostly apologized that her acceptance letter got misplaced somewhere due to his owl Tawny’s incredibly old age. Mary’s brows furrowed as she read the sentence about introducing her to an “accelerated timetable after first term” so she may be able to graduate with others her age. Something about Time Turners? Whatever those were.

Summertime inevitably hit their county within weeks of the school year ending. Lily and Severus both came home from Hogwarts with enough stories to fill entire volumes! Mary had her own stories to share, but somehow felt like they would have fallen on deaf ears.

The year apart had changed the twins somehow. Mary was not as loud, not as impulsive. At school she would usually keep to herself, being as her partner in crime was gone away to a wizarding school. Lily, in contrast, had bloomed. She became more animated, more open. Mary supposed that time away from home would do that to somebody, especially because of all the new and amazing things she had witnessed.

But Mary had to remind herself that soon it would be her turn to delve into that magical world. She was part of it now, wasn’t she? She could feel it in her little twelve-year-old bones. She also knew that Petunia would be twice as bitter, being as both twins would be leaving her behind.

However, most of Mary’s insecurities washed away that first of September 1972. Mary hadn’t forgotten the shivers down her spine when she first laid eyes on that brilliant scarlet train. She was wracked with nerves now, knowing that she would be accompanying her sister to a new place.

Lily’s voice pulled Mary out of her stupor. “Aren’t you coming?”

Mary blinked once, then nodded. “Right, sorry.” She watched her sister give their parents a hug before rushing their shared trolley to the man helping load the train.

Her father placed a kiss on top of Mary’s head, and she leaned into it. Her mother pulled her into a tight hug, saying, “I know you’ll do well, my love.”

Mary rushed to the train door that Lily and Severus had disappeared into. For a moment, she stood unsure, already lost in the large scarlet train. She pulled her rucksack closer to her side, trying to see Lily’s red hair in the long stretch of the train and not finding it. Sighing, she thought to herself,  _I'll find them eventually._

As she went towards the back of the train, Mary glanced in every compartment looking for her sister and her friend. Most of the students didn't pay her any mind, while others shot her uncomfortable looks through the glass windows. The train whistled and lurched forward, and Mary braced herself against the door of an open compartment before having the chance to fall off balance. She took a quick glance inside to see four boys occupying it and continued with her search.

“Wait—Evans?”

Mary stopped, looking over her shoulder as one of the boys stood at the door of the compartment. It was the boy she had seen at Diagon Alley so long ago; she wondered briefly if he remembered her, before quickly realizing he most likely thought she was Lily. She noticed another boy, one with unruly brown hair and square glasses, was beside him.

“Didn't you just pass by with that little friend of yours already?” the latter boy asked, raising a questioning brow. His tone didn’t sit well with Mary.

She sighed inwardly, fully facing them. “That was my twin sister,” Mary explained, almost like she had spent her whole life saying it. “You wouldn't have happened to see where they went, did you?” The boy with glasses shook his head in response, while the boy with grey eyes stared at her. Mary could feel the hairs on her arms raise under his gaze. “What, do I have something on my face?”

He shook his head in turn, curls falling onto his forehead. “Sorry, I was just… Your eyes aren’t green like your sister’s.”

“Really? I hadn’t the slightest idea,” Mary responded sarcastically, a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips.

“It finally makes sense why Lily acted like she’d never seen me in her life,” he said, voice raising an octave. “ _You_  were the one I saw around Diagon Alley before.”

Trying to sound casual, she said, “Oh, you’re the robes boy!”  _He remembers_ , Mary thought to herself.  _I can’t believe he remembers._

“What are the bloody odds?” the boy wearing glasses said, almost smirking. “ _Twins_.”

“Bugger off, mate,” the boy with grey eyes hissed, shoving his friend’s shoulder. He held his hand out to her, sporting a grin that made Mary’s heart do flips.

She shook his hand once. His skin was warm, a stark contrast to the cold of hers. Their eyes met, stormy greys to chocolate browns, and a smile just seemed to form on her lips quite naturally. “I’m Mary. Nice to officially meet you.”

“I’m Sirius.”

Mary must have made a face at that because he added: “Like the star.”

“My name’s James,” the boy with glasses interrupted, falling into her line of sight once more. “The two blokes behind me are Peter and Remus.”

He motioned around his shoulder to a small, pudgy boy and another whose nose was stuck in a book. Mary saw the slightly visible scars across the latter’s face, and she caught herself staring for a moment too long.

“I should really go find my sister,” Mary said, hoping to excuse herself politely. She put a hand to the wall to steady herself a bit when the train moved. With a kind smile, she bid them goodbye. “Hopefully I’ll see you lot around!”

As Mary walked away, she could hear the tail end of the boys’ conversation before the compartment door closed fully. “…why do you reckon she didn’t start last year like the rest of us?”

It wasn’t until she reached the last handful of compartments at the back of the train did Mary finally spot Lily and Severus. They were conversing with one another, not at all concerned that she wasn’t with them. She slid the door open violently, startling them. A frown was set on her face. “I have been looking for you two everywhere!”

Severus said smugly, “Well, you’ve found us.”

“Where have  _you_  been?” Lily asked, genuinely curious. Her tone didn’t seem accusatory to Mary.

Mary slid the door closed behind her, and then threw her rucksack into one of the overhead shelves in the compartment. “After you two left me to  _fend for myself_ , I met a couple of blokes who mistook me for Lily.” After taking a seat opposite of Severus, she added: “Cheers, by the way, for that. It wasn’t like this was my first time or  _anything_.”

Lily rolled her eyes, amused. “I mean, you’re here now, so I suppose those boys didn’t give you that much trouble.”

Mary shrugged. “I didn’t like the attitude of that James one, though. He irks me.” Severus and Lily both sat up then, and Mary’s eyes went wide. “What?”

“Mussed hair and glasses?” Severus asked.

“Uh, yeah.”

“That’s the boy I owled you about!” Lily said, a look of something fierce painting her features. “He and his friend Sirius are  _always_  picking on Sev.”

Mary frowned again, her gaze falling to her lap. “Sirius didn’t seem at all like that,” she muttered, not sure if she should be defending him.

She was more than conflicted. Everything that Lily had told her about the boys in the letters described such heinous and devious persons. Although James didn’t exactly come off too nice, Sirius was… genuinely inquisitive. And incredibly handsome, but she would never dare divulge that to either Lily or Severus.

“Whatever you do,” Severus started, crossing his arms across his chest, “try your best to avoid that group of theirs. They’re trouble.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Mary sighed, turning to look out of the window. They were nearing the very outskirts of civilization, more and more green flashing by in between scattered houses.

Anxiety seemed to bother her stomach and her mind. Intrusive thoughts kept racing through her mind. What if students make fun of her for “being held back”? What if she gets sorted into a House that neither Lily and Severus are in? What if she absolutely fails miserably at being a witch?

Mary leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to regulate her breathing. This was going to be an interesting year.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I did a goof and had writer's block for a hot minute. Hopefully I'll be able to update this more regularly!

Mary’s anxiety had dissipated significantly once she stepped foot in one of the magical boats at the lake, along with the other First year students. Lily and Severus had gone off to join the others on the magically drawn carriages, but she didn’t idle on that as her eyes fell on the mystical castle before her. It was grand and regal, beautiful against the bright moon in the sky. Mary couldn’t help the large grin that spread across her lips.

It wasn’t long until they disembarked the boats, corralled into the castle and waiting in the Chamber of Reception outside of what the deputy headmaster—Dippet or other, she wasn’t sure—called the Great Hall. Everyone wore the designated dress robes, and while some looked bored and disinterested, many more were marveling at the moving paintings on the walls or the floating candles overhead.

Dippet quieted down the students, calling for their attention. “The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room…”

Hogwarts was already surpassing everything she imagined. As excited as she was, the back of her neck prickled from uncertainty, wishing her sister and Severus could have stayed with her. “I’m all jittery from nerves,” the redhead muttered mostly to herself.

“Don’t be,” a voice responded. “We’ll get sorted soon enough, have a laugh, and then spend the rest of the year in some ridiculous classes.”

Mary turned to her side, meeting the gaze of a boy with piercing eyes and dark hair. He looked eerily familiar to her. “Do you have siblings attending Hogwarts too?”

“I’ve an older brother.” The boy had nearly sneered. “Got himself sorted into _Gryffindor_. Made mum and dad furious, that one.”

“I thought Gryffindor was the good House,” she said, gauging his responses. Coming from the look on his face, Mary either said something incredibly brilliant or incredibly stupid.

The boy’s brows rose on his forehead, his eyes going a bit wider. An amused laugh escaped his lips as he said, “You’re a Muggle-born, aren’t you? Figures.”

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in defense. “Who’s died and made you so high and mighty?” Mary’s chin jutted out, a slight irritation seeping into her bones. “Last I saw, we’re all on the bottom rung coming in as First years.”

“Touché.” A contemplative expression flashed over the boy’s face, followed by a small smirk. He held his hand out to her. “My name’s Regulus.”

It took a moment before she took his hand in hers. “I’m Mary.”

“You mentioned having a sibling as well?” he offered, trying to make small talk.

“A twin sister. She’s a Second year now—”

“You’ve got to be pulling my leg,” Regulus said incredulously. “I’ve never heard of _twins_ being in different years.”

Before Mary could provide an explanation about the circumstances, the large double doors of the Great Hall opened. A wave of chatter and excitement seemed to come over everybody as they followed the deputy headmaster in. There were hundreds of students seated at large tables in the hall, and the inside was even more magnificent. Mary waved at Lily enthusiastically when she spotted her sitting at the end of (what she assumed was) the Gryffindor table.

The professor took the steps at the front of the hall and placed an old, leather witch’s hat atop a rickety stool. Mary stared opened mouthed for a few seconds before he pulled out a large scroll from thin air and began reading off names. One by one the students around her sat down and had the hat placed on their heads; the Sorting Hat would loudly announce their respective House assignments.

And then, Regulus was called up.

“Regulus Black!”

The Great Hall grew quiet as the hat was lifted. It had sat on his dark locks for mere moments before it shouted out a roaring “SLYTHERIN!” The table filled with students wearing predominantly green ties burst into cheers. Mary noticed Regulus throw a look towards the Gryffindor table, towards Sirius, and things started to connect for her.

Eight students had been sorted into Gryffindor, five into Hufflepuff, seven into Ravenclaw, and twelve into Slytherin. When Mary’s name was called, she felt her knees turn to jelly. It wasn’t until she sat down in the worn-out stool that she realized just how many people were in the audience staring up at her. Lily caught her gaze and gave two thumbs up.

Mary let out a breath when a voice began speaking in her head. Her eyes widened. The Sorting Hat’s low, rumbling voice considered, “Curious, very curious… It has been years since I have seen this kind of power manifest in such an ancient soul…”

Power? She’s barely come into her magical abilities. “Is… is that a good thing?” Mary asked the hat, going cross-eyed as she attempted to look up at it. A few students chuckled. And did it say, ‘ancient soul’? The hat was definitely crazy. Or maybe she was crazy. She hasn’t yet accepted the fact that the hat was _talking_.

It continued, almost reading her mind, “No form of insanity here, my child. You possess many traits of great Gryffindors before you… yet I sense incredible things to come for you in Slytherin…”

Mary sat in anticipation as the hat grew silent. Whispers began to start in the crowd about “hat stalls” and she wondered what that was about. She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, scanning the students: Lily looked passive, Severus seemed slightly concerned. She wondered why Sirius was watching her so intently. Mary nearly jumped when the Sorting Hat called out, “GRYFFINDOR!”

Relief filled her very being. Dippet lifted the hat from her red hair before she bolted down the steps to join her sister. Lily, who had saved a seat, pulled her sister into a hug while others congratulated their new House mate, some giving her firm pats on the back.

The rest of the sorting ceremony went on with Mary barely paying attention. When it did finally finish, their headmaster Dumbledore said a few words before commencing the feast. This time, Mary did jump out of her seat as the food magically appeared at the table; she rocked and found herself flat on her back on the floor. Students around them stifled laughter.

“Oh, dear! Mary, are you alright?” Lily helped her up; a couple of kind Hufflepuffs seated at the table behind them made sure she wasn’t injured.

“Yes, fine, thank you,” Mary muttered, brushing herself off sheepishly. “The floor just… snuck up on me, that’s all.”

“First time I ever heard that!” came James’ voice from a few seats down. He snickered until the boy named Remus smacked the back of his head.

-*-*-

During breakfast on the first day of classes, the heads of Houses had provided everyone with their times tables. Mary was asked to have lunch with Dumbledore in his office after her first two sessions had finished, and they talked about her adjustment. She wasn’t sure if the headmaster had used magic to put her at ease, but all Mary knew was that Dumbledore was her new favorite person.

The first few weeks at Hogwarts were a whirlwind. Mary had absorbed everything that happened and stored them in her memory. Most of the purebloods and half-bloods in her classes seemed uninterested in their subjects, but she was _enthralled_. Mary had started taking notes at the edges of her notes whenever there were things she didn’t understand, or if there were certain lingo that she wanted to learn about.

Even though Lily and Severus had different schedules, being a year ahead, they always found time to be with Mary. She liked the routine; it felt like the year without them hadn’t put a damper on their relationship with one another. The three of them ate together and studied around the castle when permitted. Mary had even become fast friends with Remus Lupin and Regulus Black. She wasn’t exactly sure how _that_ happened.

Actually, no, that was a lie.

She and Remus had coincidentally been in the library one day, and he had spoken to her out of genuine curiosity because of her rare predicament. The librarian had shushed them so many times that they decided to leave and walk the castle grounds. They shared some of the same interests for magic and the world at large, but they mostly bonded over the fact he didn’t act like his friends and she didn’t act like her sister.

Gryffindors and Slytherins had Charms together in the mornings; Mary didn’t know anyone in the class except for Regulus, and he didn’t complain too much when she sat herself beside him. For a few days, she was worried that the pureblood prejudice that she’s heard so much about would prevent them from befriending her. Although, similarly to Severus, he wasn’t such a bad guy once you got to know him more.

Mary and Regulus had just left the Charms classroom one day when two pairs of thundering footsteps came behind them. Bodies squeezed between them, getting by with ever-familiar ringing laughter. Regulus had grabbed her arm abruptly, keeping her steady on her feet.

“Watch where you’re going, you twat!” he shouted at the boys.

“Regulus, it’s fine.” Mary looked in time to see Sirius Black attempt to hide the red in his cheeks.

“Quite sorry, love,” Sirius said to her. He rubbed the back of his head momentarily before James Potter tugged at his friend’s robes. His eyes looked past to something behind Mary, and they heard the raucous sound of the caretaker Filch’s voice not too far away. “See you around, little brother!”

Regulus sighed, shaking his head. “Merlin, sometimes I can’t believe I’m related to him by blood.”

Filch hustled by them not long after, grumbling under his breath about some broken tiles in the corridors.


End file.
